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Guido Bühlmann |
(Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
(Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
(Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
(Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann) 07-1019
Anatolian Eagle is an air force exercise hosted by the Turkish Air Force and held at Konya Air Base. There are both national and international exercises held, the international exercises usually involving air arms of the United States, other NATO forces, and Asian countries.
With modernisation of infrastructure, weapons and training starting in the early 1980s, the Turkish Air Force realised the philosophy that "no matter how modern the weapons are, it is men that use them." When the TAF gained experience during internal security operations and the Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo Wars, it was decided that the TAF had reached a performance level where it could host the air forces of other countries in exercises and provide training to them. The Anatolian Eagle exercises are stated to be similar to the USA's Red Flag exercise at Nellis Air Force Base.
The TAF first sent observers to Red Flag in 1983 and participated for the first time in 1997 with six F-16s and 57 personnel. Two 'Flag' type exercises were held 1998 called Anatolian Flag at Incirlik Air Base.
The first exercise, Anatolian Eagle 01, was held by TAF Operations Command in June 2001. As well as Turkey, the air forces of USA and Israel also participated. After the alleged coup attempt in 2016, no Anatolian Eagle exercises were held in 2017 and 2018, but they returned in 2019. In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic meant another year without Anatolian Eagle, but since 2021 the exercise is held again.
Turkish Air Force
Several squadrons of the Turkish Air Force equipped with General Dynamics F-16s took part in the Anatolian Eagle 2022. For the first time, the Baykar Savunma Akıncı UAV was also involved in the exercise.
Boeing E-7T 13-002 131 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Casa CN235M-100 135 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Northrop NF-5A Freedom Fighter 134 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Konya ist auch ein ziviler Flughafen. (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16A 88-0021 Solo Türk (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16A 88-0021 Solo Türk (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16A 88-0021 Solo Türk (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16A 88-0021 Solo Türk (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16A 88-0021 Solo Türk (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16A 88-0021 Solo Türk (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16A (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16B 89-0042 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
(Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
(Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
(Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
(Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16C 191 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16C 94-0071 191 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16C 94-0071 191 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16D 94-1560 191 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16D 94-1560 191 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16C 92-0008 191 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16D 89-0943 191 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16C 91-0017 191 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
(Picture courtesy F-16C Filo 132 93-0673 Guido Bühlmann)
(Picture courtesy F-16C Filo 132 93-0673 Guido Bühlmann)
(Picture courtesy F-16C Filo 132 89-0028 Guido Bühlmann)
(Picture courtesy F-16C Filo 132 93-0673 Guido Bühlmann)
Baykar Savunma Akıncı UAV. 342 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Baykar Savunma Akıncı UAV. 342 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Baykar Savunma Akıncı UAV. 342 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Baykar Savunma Akıncı UAV. 342 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Mc Donnell Douglas F-4E-2020 111 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
(Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Mc Donnell Douglas F-4E-2020 111 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Mc Donnell Douglas F-4E-2020 111 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Mc Donnell Douglas F-4E-2020 111 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Mc Donnell Douglas F-4E-2020 111 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Mc Donnell Douglas F-4E-2020 111 Filo (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Sonnenuntergang auf der Basis (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
NATO
Boeing E-3A NATO LX-N90456 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Boeing E-3A NATO LX-N90456 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Royal AIr Force
The Nno. 3 Squadron of the Royal Air Force also participated in the exercise. The BaE Typhoon of the No. 3 Staffel did not have any squadron identifications on the aircraft. There were four aircraft in Konya
BaE Typhoon FGR.4 ZK311 No. 2 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
BaE Typhoon FGR.4 ZK369 No. 2 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
BaE Typhoon FGR.4 ZK437 No. 2 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
BaE Typhoon FGR.4 ZK437No. 2 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Jordan Air Foce
The Jordanian Air Force was involved with three General Dynamics F-16s. The third operator of this type, alongside the Turkish and Pakistani F-16s.
Jordanian Flightline (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16AM 148 1 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16BM 133 1 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16BM 134 1 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16BM 134 1 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16BM 134 1 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16BM 134 1 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16BM 134 1 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Paristan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force participated in the Anatolian Eagle 2022 with a contingent of F-16A MLU and F-16B MLU from 11 Squadron "Arrows". The squadron was supported by a C-130E Hercules from 6 Squadron "Antelopes" and an Ilyushin IL-78MP aerial refueling plane. The Ilyushin IL-78MP belong to the 10th squadron "Bulls"
Lockheed C-130E 4148 6 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16B MLU 90617 11 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16A MLU 85728 11 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16A MLU 84715 11 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16B MLU 90617 11 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16A MLU 85719 11 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16B MLU 90617 11 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
General Dynamics F-16A MLU 84715 11 Sqn (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Azerbaijan Air Force
Two Azerbaijan Air Force Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot participated in the exercise. next to the F-16, these machines were exotic.
Sukhoi Su-25 #33 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Sukhoi Su-25 #33 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Sukhoi Su-25 #09 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)
Sukhoi Su-25 #09 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)